Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash went through his first full-contact practice without any setbacks on Thursday and left open the possibility that he could return on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

Nash did acknowledge that the Lakers' Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks is the most likely date of his return.

Steve Nash is nearing a return to the Lakers' lineup. (AP Photo)

"I just want to try to get through today, see how I feel in the morning," Nash told USA Today Sports. "If I'm able to, practice tomorrow, and see how I feel Saturday, and we'll just see how it goes. But I think Christmas is probably the most realistic."

Nash missed nearly two months with a left leg injury. He returned to practice on Monday.

The veteran guard did admit he is experiencing pain from his left broken fibula.

"Yeah, there's a lot (of pain), there's a fair amount of pain, but I think that's going to be the case for, you know, a month or so, even when I'm playing, just because it was in a really tough spot being that the fracture is in the joint there," Nash told USA Today Sports. "I think all of us play through pain. The pain's not the issue. It's more, 'Am I doing damage to it and is it going to prevent me from playing the rest of the season?' We've got to just measure that as the next day and a half, two days, go by.

"Obviously I'm not in great condition after being pretty inactive for seven weeks, but that's just a harsh reality is that it's going to be a painful period while I try to get myself not only back in shape but try to find my game with rhythm and timing."

The Lakers are off to a sluggish 12-14 start that led to coach Mike Brown's firing and replacement with Nash’s former coach in Phoenix, Mike D'Antoni.

Nash expects the team to meet its high preseason expectations.

"I always thought this was a team that had great potential, and I feel like we still do," Nash told USA Today Sports. "But we're without a training camp (with D'Antoni), have a lot of new players, new coach. It's going to take us time to understand what we're trying to accomplish at both ends, ingrain the habits and details, and when we do that, we'll take off."